I love coffee. I started drinking it at 6 or 7 years old which was a typical Haitian thing where kids could drink coffee compared to the U.S. Many years ago, my grandmother decided to clean out her storage and being the only girl of family at that time period at the age of 10, I was the recipient and she love me I was her favorite grandchild.  While digging up old stuff in the room memories started to come back and as she pull out a mug which was wrapped with multiple layers of cloth and paper. She told me a short story of how this was a precious mug to her and how it brought back joy thinking of old times when her family and my mom as a child would gather all together in the morning  and they would drink coffee, bitter tea, eat pen avek manba (bread with peanut butter), with banana and to this day going to Haiti to my grandma’s house she still has the same routine going where friends and neighbors and family would join and come to Marie Helieze’s house. Those would be my favorites moments although there would be confusion on knowing a family member or a family friend who knows me. One of the rules my grandma would have is do not drink from the tas mawon  (brown mug) but I once dared to drink from it and got caught and I had a urge since then.  I didn’t care much about the value of the coffee mug at that age, I only cared that it was the prettiest and came from my grandma.There are some things, however, that I hold incredibly dear - these are things that have a special place in my shelf cabinet at home and an even more special place in my heart.

– M.M

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child